Hat cover



March 21 1944. R. J. WEIKERT HAT COVER Original Filed May 22. 1939 KIRK E 1 IWPI Patented Mar. 21, 1944' UNITED STATES PAT ENT OFFICE HAT COVER Roy J. 'Weikcrt, Covingttm, Ohio Original application 'May 22, .1939, :Serial :No.

274,867. Divided and this application July .21, 1941, SerialNo. 403,318

1 Claim.

An object of the invention is toprovide aseamless hat covering or like article formed from a sheet \of rubber hydrochloride by stretching certain areas of the sheet to cause the sameto conform to the shapc'of a forming element producing the stretching.

Another object .of the .invention is to provide a seamless hat cap or covering device which hasa smooth crownportion adapted to fit closely and smoothly over the crown of ahat and having an integral smooth rim portion adapted to rest ii upon the brim of a hat whereby hat can be stacked one upon the other without damage to the crown or brim.

Another object of the invention is to provide a seamless hat cap -or protective covering in ac- .cordance with the foregoing .obiect wherein the covering device is constructed from .a very thin sheet .of rubber hydrochloride which i stretched over a form to produce a seamless smooth surfaced article.

Another object of the invention is .to provide a seamless smooth surfaced hat cap or covering device which will cover "the surface of a hatand eliminate .stay or ring marks caused "by stacking of'hats during shipping or storage.

The invention relates more particularly to the formation of a hat cap or covering device from a sheet of rubber hydrochloride of the type known as Pliofllm which is manufactured by The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, Akron, Ohio. In a preferred embodiment, the invention is applied to the formation of an upstanding crown in a sheet of Pliofilm, whereby to provide a protecting cover or liner for a hat. However, it is to be understood that the invention is adaptable to the manufacture of any type of article from Pliofilm by stretching the same while it is in a conditioned state. In a still more particular aspect, the invention involves first conditioning the Pliofilm by subjecting it to the action of moist heat, as, for example in the form of steam, for a sufficient period of time to render the Pliofilm readily stretchable; the Pliofilm is stretched after it has been thus conditioned and is then allowed to cool to such an extent that it again assumes its relatively nonstretchable condition whereupon the article is ready for use.

Yet another object is to produce a hat cap for protecting a hat during storage or shipping from a sheet of rubber hydrochloride wherein the sheet is shaped by stretching a central portion thereof so as to form a hat cover ,or a hat liner; this forming is accomplished by the insertion of a suitable mold member into the central .conditioned portion of the .blank, the deformed portion of the blank forming the crown and the annular portion surrounding the same being utilized for clamping the material whereby effective forming isobtained; thisannular peripheral portion is substantially ,unstretched during theproc- .ess and .retain its originalstate after the process of formation is completed; thus the central por- .tion is stretched into the desired crown form, while the brim portion is left substantially unchanged thereby producing alhat cover or lining member which .isseamlessand has a smooth surface which contacts the surfa e f t e hat- Still other objects will ,more fully hereinafter appear.

Thi application .is a-division of my copending .applicatiomserial No. 274,867 filed May 22, 1939.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 isa perspective of a hatcap or,a hat liner prepared in accordance with the present invention.

Figures 2 and 3 are sectional views showing a hat cover and a hat liner, respectively, applied to ahatlto protect the same.

The hat industry jihas been troubled for years with dama e caused .to'hats in shipping and in storage upon the showroom shelf. The major damage results from stay or ring marks produced by the pressure of one hat upon the other when packed in stacks or stacked upon the showroom shelves. Many expedients have been tried to eliminate stay marks but without success since a hat requires some type of support, and when supported the support member leaves marks upon the surface of the hat due to various causes, such as frictional wear or compacting of the felt at the point of support. Any device which is provided with an edge or with seams which engage the hat with greater pressure at one point than another will produce this result. Further, considerable damage has resulted to hats on the showroom shelf due to soil.

It is therefore of primary consideration to the hat industry to receive a protective covering for the hat which is a seamless smooth surfaced article which is resistant to tearing, absorption of natural oils, will not cause spot friction upon the hat surface, and will protect the hat from soil.

In this invention the hat cap or protective covering device is made from a very thin sheet of which is integral with the top wall I05.

has a very smooth surface friction is eliminated against the felt surface of a hat. The sheet of rubber hydrochloride is stretched over a .form to a thickness of approximately .0005 inch bya suitable process and apparatus which reduces the wall thickness of the crown portion over the- I wall thickness of the brim portion. This rela tive reduction in thickness is for the purpose of eliminating any substantial weight or friction from the surface of the hat. The'result of the process is to form a one pieicelseainless article of manufacture which will closely fit the contour of a hat over which it is to be placed. This process and apparatus are disclosed in applicants co-pending application, Serial No. 274,867; filed May 22, 1939, heretofore referred to, and which is now Patent No. 2,295,066, issued September 8, 1942.

In Figure 1 there is shown a hat cap or covering device I having a crown IOI and a brim I02. The crown IOI is'seamless and is of a predetermined size to fit over the crown of a hat. The brim I02 is integral with the crown IM and is formed from the same sheet of material from which the crown IOI was stretched thereby eliminating any seam between the crown and the brim. The crown IOI can be stretched to any desired shape to fit over a hat of any particular shape, the crown shown in Figures 2 and 3 having a somewhat square shape while in Figure 4 the crown has a rounded contour. If desired; perforations I03 can be provided in the crown IOI to permit air circulation thereto.

The crown IOI is provided with a side wall I04 The wall thickness of the crown portion over the wall thickness of thevbrim portion is reduced to eliminate any substantial weight or friction upon the surface of; the hat. As can be readily seen in Figure 1 there-are no seams between the walls I04 and I05 and no seams joining any other portion of the crown. Since there are no seams in the hat cap I00 and it is of a'size to fit snugly and smoothly upon a hat, there is no possibility of frictional wear upon the surface of the hat hat.

as caused by seams and other edges which engage a hat surface as in the conventional hat packing or stacking with rings resting upon the hat brims.

In Figure 2, a hat 68 is shown with a hat cover 65, having a relatively wide brim, applied thereover to protect it. In Figure 3, the hat 68 is lined with a hat liner 64 having a relatively narrow brim. The hat liner orcover may be permanently or temporarily combined with the For example, the hat cover may be used to protect the hat from manufacture until sale,

. orit may be utilized by the wearer of the hat for protection against rain. Likewise, the hat liner may be worn inside the hat to protect the hat Iagainst staining and may be replaced as deemed desirable.

conditions and uses.

It is to be understood that I desire to comprehend as within my invention, such modifications as may be necessary to adapt it to varying Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A one-piece seamless hat cover for covering thecrown and the upper surface of the brim of a hat that is formed from a single sheet of tissue thin infinitely flexible rubber hydrochloride that includes a crown portion formed by stretching the central area of a sheet of rubber hydrochloride over a 'crown shaped form to a size slightly larger than the crown of a hat and subsequently permanently setting the same in this shape whereby the crown portion can be positioned upon the'crown of a hat for resting upon and engaging the same without any elastic resiliency, and an integral brim portion extending annularly from the crown portion for solely laying upon and protectingthe upper brim surface of a hat; the hat cover having the general characteristics of a gossamer like thinness which is enhanced in the crown portion thereof by reducing the wall thickness of the crown portion over the wall thickness of thebrim portion to eliminate any substantial weight or friction upon the surface of the hat, and a soft smooth continuous glazed inner surface having no abrading qualities.

ROY J. WEIKER'I. 

